Karnataka man who wrote threat letters kept a list of progressive writers, read savarkar

Jadhav was a sarsanghchalak (co-ordinator) for the Hindu Jagarana Vedike and organised many small protests against ‘killings of Hindu activists’ like Harsha, a Bajrang Dal worker who was

murdered in Shivamogga on February 20, 2022. Jadhav also spoke strongly against other issues that he perceived were against Hindutva, including the hijab and halal rows in Karnataka. During

one such demonstration, Davanagere police had booked Jadhav under IPC section 107, which pertains to breach of the peace or disturbing public tranquillity. Since April 2022, Jadhav regularly

wrote letters with threats of violence and death to around six progressive writers, rationalists, and thinkers who had spoken against religious radicalism and Hindutva. He wrote to 61

others, including noted writers K Marulasiddappa, author Kum Veerabhadrappa, BL Venu, Baraguru Ramachandrappa, Banjagere Jayaprakasha, and veteran journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu. In the

letters, Jadhav called them names like deshdrohi (traitor), anti-national, and Hindu virodhi (anti-Hindu). The letters usually ended with a demand for a public apology and an ultimatum that

if the writers do not change their ways, then they should “prepare for death in any form, which will come shortly”. Cumulatively, seven complaints had been filed by those who received the

letters, but they alleged that the previous BJP government under CM Bommai had taken no action to nab the letter writer. On August 22, 2023, a delegation of the writers met CM Siddaramaiah

and sought action, after which the case was handed over to Bengaluru Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted. Jadhav was arrested a month

later by tracking the postal stamp on the letters received and reviewing CCTV footage from near the post office in Davanagere from where he posted the letters. READ: _AN ANONYMOUS

LETTER-WRITER IS TARGETING PROGRESSIVE KANNADA WRITERS AND LIBERALS_